Algeria vows to reinforce security in energy facilities

Algeria has reiterated determination to boost up security of oil and gas facilities, Minister of Energy Youcef Yousfi said here on Tuesday, on the back of the terror attack that targeted Sunday a municipal guard barrack in charge of securing a gas pipeline in the province of Bouira, 120 km south east Algiers. "We will explore ways to strengthen security of our energy facilities all over the country," the official APS news agency quoted Yousfi as saying when he addressed members of the Council of the Nation (the upper house of the parliament), as part of the examination of the draft law on hydrocarbons. A couple of days ago, an armed group assaulted a gas pipeline that supplied the northern regions with natural gas, in the locality of Djebahia, Bouira province. The attack left three municipal guards killed. Two weeks ago, militants linked to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb assaulted a gas field facility in the locality of In Amenas, in Illizi province some 1,700 km south east Algiers. The assault was followed by the abduction of 790 foreign and local workers. This crisis which left 37 killed hostages,has brought forth the issue of the security of energy facilities in this oil rich nation. As for the damage caused to this gas field complex, the minister indicated that the state run energy group Sonatrach is currently assessing and repairing the damage, adding that the gas field complex will resume service as soon as the repair phase is finished. Meanwhile, Yousfi has strongly condemned such terror attacks saying "Algeria will not renounce and will continue to do everything possible to eradicate terrorism."